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I've reached the end of my patience with phones purchased from AT&T and their (lack of) upgrades. So I'm considering buying a new Samsung S& edge unlocked (SM-G935F) from an eBay seller. I have some questions about this process. I looked online but didn't find answers to my questions. If there's an online resource, feel free to redirect me.
Assumptions:
1) I'm satisfied with AT&T as a carrier.
2) Customer in good standing. No contract commitments.
3) I have as S6 with working AT&T nano-sim.
4) I'm fine purchasing for cash. I'm not interested in AT&T's Next plans.
Questions:
1) Do I simply move the sim to the new phone? Is any registration of the new phone/IMEI required with AT&T? Do I have to setup a new APN? Does call forwarding function the same?
2) Are there any features I lose vs. an AT&T branded phone? Samsung Pay? Any others?
3) AT&T uses LTE bands 2,4,5,17. So does the SM-G935F. So I should get the same LTE performance I would get with an AT&T branded phone, right?
4) How do I get system updates? With an AT&T branded phone, I get them OTA thru Settings>About Device>Software Update. How does this work with an unbranded phone when Samsung releases an update?
5) Do I get any support of the phone from AT&T or Samsung? No warranty, correct?
6) Are there any other pluses or minuses to this approach.
I will be going this route for the S7 as well. It's an expensive option but at least I won't have AT&T crapware and faster updates.
In my experience with previous unlocked phones, the SIM card can just be inserted into the new phone and it will automatically configure the data, mms, and voicemail settings.
Provided the phone you are purchasing supports the required LTE bands, there should be no difference in speed.
There will be no support from AT&T and the warranty is not valid within the U.S.
AFAIK Samsung Pay does not work on the international versions in the U.S. This is what will suck because I happen to like Samsung Pay.
AFAIK, your understanding is correct on all your points. I have an unlocked US Cellular moto e that I use as an alternate to my S6, I swap my SIM back and forth with no issues, and there is no official ATT support for the version of moto e that I have, so I can't imagine you'd have any issues getting the phone up and running. You may have to manually enter your APN, but that info is widely available and it's easy to do. Not sure how updates would work.
Only other consideration is that the int'l version uses an Exynos processor rather than the Snapdragon in the ATT version. From the reviews I've seen, the exynos beats the snapdragon slightly in performance and battery life. It's likely going to make development of custom ROMs for the S7 considerably slower than if it were snapdragon based though. However, the locked bootloader on the ATT one will = zero development unless it gets unlocked (I'm guessing that's very unlikely). So this probably doesn't matter too much.
There will also be no Voice over LTE (HD voice ) on the international version should that be a priority for you
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk
VoLTE would be nice. Any idea when AT&T plans to make that available for non-iPhones?
How are software updates delivered?
VoLTE is available on certain phone already. S6 and others support it. Depends on your area, so you will have to check the map.
iceman4357 said:
VoLTE is available on certain phone already. S6 and others support it. Depends on your area, so you will have to check the map.
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Yes but only on AT&T branded Android phones and iphones. The OP was speaking of an unbranded international version Galaxy S6 S7 which does not support volte
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk
I'm the OP. It appears that AT&T-branded S7's support VoLTE (HDVoice) as does (somewhat to my surprise) my S6, though I've never been aware of it based on any calls I've made or received. HDVoice appears to be available throughout my SF Bay Area. But, if I understand correctly, this would be a feature I would lose with an unbranded international phone (or, presumably, with an unlocked phone from, say, T-Mobile with an AT&T sim). Correct?
What about features that AT&T removed? Like download booster, simple sharing, and smart manager? These appear to be Samsung additions that were removed from AT&T-branded S6's. Would they be available on an unlocked, unbranded international version? (I'm not sure I would use these, but it's annoying to have them stripped by the carrier.)
And the remaining question that I haven't heard an answer to: how do I get upgrades? OTA (from who)? Download from somewhere & install with Smart Switch (or some other software)? Something Else?
Thanks for your help so far.
If I remember correctly you can download updated ota just like you do now. It just comes from Samsung not at&t.
All the carrier bloat is gone, and all factory apps will be there because there is no one to strip it from the phone.
BUT
If you buy an unlocked t-mobile phone you will have to Odin the updates. I used a verizon s4 with t-mobile I had to manually update everything myself through XDA and odin.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using XDA Premium HD app
I sold my S6 Edge in December and swapped it with a Tmobile unlocked S6 Edge and what a good decision. Got my Marshmallow update this week and the phone felt new again. So much quicker and boosted my Antutu scores too.
8 year AT&T customer and I'm not coming back. LTE speeds and signal is great with Tmobile and unlimited video streaming.
https://store.google.com/product/nexus_6p Starts at $449. Monthly updates. Easy rooting. Easy everything. Great phone.
Came back here to see if any progress made on S6 bootloader unlock and/or rooting (for a friend), and saw this.
Switched to a Nexus when the Nexus 5 came out. I will never, ever, buy a non-Nexus phone ever again. You should be in full control of whatever hardware you buy. Control should never be dictated by a carrier.
Just thought I'd toss in my own perspective (from a former original Galaxy S then S3 owner). Never had any issues at all with my Nexus 5 or 6P. If you have the money, you won't regret a 6P purchase.
If you don't have that kind of money, I think the 4th Gen Moto G (soon to be released, leaks everywhere this week) will probably be the strongest choice.
Pig Vomit said:
https://store.google.com/product/nexus_6p Starts at $449. Monthly updates. Easy rooting. Easy everything. Great phone.
Came back here to see if any progress made on S6 bootloader unlock and/or rooting (for a friend), and saw this.
Switched to a Nexus when the Nexus 5 came out. I will never, ever, buy a non-Nexus phone ever again. You should be in full control of whatever hardware you buy. Control should never be dictated by a carrier.
Just thought I'd toss in my own perspective (from a former original Galaxy S then S3 owner). Never had any issues at all with my Nexus 5 or 6P. If you have the money, you won't regret a 6P purchase.
If you don't have that kind of money, I think the 4th Gen Moto G (soon to be released, leaks everywhere this week) will probably be the strongest choice.
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Except there's no Smart Stay or Samsung Pay, both features I use and rely on. I'd buy an unlocked Samsung before a a Nexus.
I ordered a T-Mobile sim to test out the carrier where I live, I need to unlock my AT&T S6 Edge first but after that I plan on getting the new Nexus and selling my S6. I simply can't take AT&T's horrible service anymore.
I'm the OP and am back to report. I bought an S7E (G935F) on Amazon (from one of their Marketplace sellers), complete with Prime 2-day free shipping (& no tax). All works as expected:
1) dropping in my old AT&T SIM works fine. No need to call AT&T. No need to configure APNs. Voice calls, SMS, MMS, and LTE data all seem to work correctly. My LTE connection appeared to be on Band 2 in my area.
2) Of course, no AT&T crapware. Features deleted by AT&T are available (download booster, simple sharing, etc.) and work correctly. The Samsung-bundled Microsoft apps (and free 100GB OneDrive) are present.
3) OTA system software updates appear to be available, but there haven't been any.
4) Mine came with Arabic (?!) (and English) printed instructions but the phone sets up fine in English. The (apparently original, sealed) box included a European (Type-C) 2 pin power adapter (with a European-to-US adapter packed separately).
The only unexpected things I've encountered are:
1) changing the VoiceMail configuration. VM works (calls forward to VM as expected and I can retrieve VMs both by calling and using Visual VM app). The only thing I so far unable to do is CHANGE the VM configuration. I can't change the number I forward to (like Call Forward Always to another number, like a colleague). I get a Network Error message when loading the Phone/More Settings page or trying to set a new number. My wife has an AT&T LG G3 that has exactly the same problem. The HTC One M8 (where the S7E SIM came from) VM configuration worked correctly. But an AT&T Samsung S6 works correctly. I haven't found a way around this for any of the phones. I'm wondering if this is some kind of security provision (so that I can't "borrow" your SIM and change the call forwarding to re-route your incoming calls).
2) When I view my AT&T account online, the picture of the phone changed from it's previous model (HTC One M8) to Device Unknown. A minor detail, to be sure, but curious.
So, after a week, I would not hesitate to do this again in the future.
Glad It Worked out For you, I considered an unlocked model but don't want to loose HD Voice and wifi calling (once it arrives). I personally can hear an incredible differnce with HD voice enabled. couldnt care less about it, but video calling would also be lost with unlocked varient.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk
You are correct & I neglected to mention that HDVoice, WiFi Calling, and Video Calling are absent in the International version. It would be nice to have those, but not critical for me. Voice, in general, is less and less important for me. There is video call button in my dialer but it doesn't appear to do anything useful, at least that I've been able to uncover. I have HDVoice on my AT&T S6 and in the few instances that I've had a potential HDVoice call (to a friend's AT&T S7E), I frankly couldn't detect a noticeable difference. I don't know how to see an indication of whether a call is HDVoice or not.
jc95 said:
You are correct & I neglected to mention that HDVoice, WiFi Calling, and Video Calling are absent in the International version. It would be nice to have those, but not critical for me. Voice, in general, is less and less important for me. There is video call button in my dialer but it doesn't appear to do anything useful, at least that I've been able to uncover. I have HDVoice on my AT&T S6 and in the few instances that I've had a potential HDVoice call (to a friend's AT&T S7E), I frankly couldn't detect a noticeable difference. I don't know how to see an indication of whether a call is HDVoice or not.
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On AT&T with an international version you typically loose the HDvoice, Wifi calling and video calling. I have seen people on Verizon with unlocked phones (Galaxy series, htc 10, 6P) that report you can use those features on their network. I think the ideal situation is to have an unlocked phone on Verizon at this point.
OP again with an update... Got a 2nd G935F for wife. Running G935FXXU1APD with AT&T SIM. Call forwarding worked fine on this one. (Not sure why it doesn't work on my other one.) Also, sideloaded Samsung Pay & Samsung Pay Framework from APK Mirror. Installed and works fine. So my list of things that don't work is just HD Voice, WiFi calling and Video calling.
OP again. I'm now more confused. I now have 2 unlocked S7 Edge (one G935F and one G935FD). Both unlocked. Both using AT&T sims. Identical software on both. On the FD, things work better than I was expecting: Samsung Pay works. I can add cards and use it to pay. I can also change the Call Forwarding settings (in particular CF All). But the 935F can't add a card to Samsung Pay (server connection error) and I can't change the CF settings. There are a number of online references complaining about server connection error and many seem related to device encryption (can't add cards to encrypted devices). I also have an S6 that's working with SPay and was encrypted with Lollipop. With Marshmallow, the Lock Screen settings have changed and it's no longer encrypt/decrypt device, only Require screen lock to decrypt data when device turned on. There doesn't seem to be an obvious way to decrypt a Marshmallow device. But even with this set, I can add cards to me S6 and S7E (FD), but not my S7E (F).
I suppose I should be grateful that SP works at all on one of my unlocked S7Es. But it's frustrating to have them behave differently.
I was apprehensive to purchase the P30 Pro because I had some troubling experiance with the Mate 20 Pro in the US on T-Mobile with calls and texts. To my surpise I inserted my sim into the P30 Pro and service was great. Even more surprising when I make calls I still have LTE and it connects in 1-2 seconds after dialing. Now I know I dont have a toggle for VOLTE or WIFI calling but keeping data during a call and connecting very fast was never something that happened to me with the Mate 20 Pro. Is anyone else in the US having a similair experiance?
Poison423 said:
I was apprehensive to purchase the P30 Pro because I had some troubling experiance with the Mate 20 Pro in the US on T-Mobile with calls and texts. To my surpise I inserted my sim into the P30 Pro and service was great. Even more surprising when I make calls I still have LTE and it connects in 1-2 seconds after dialing. Now I know I dont have a toggle for VOLTE or WIFI calling but keeping data during a call and connecting very fast was never something that happened to me with the Mate 20 Pro. Is anyone else in the US having a similair experiance?
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Click to collapse
VOLTE is on based on service menu by default. I feel call quality is great with the P30 Pro... I even like the screen as the phone speaker as well. I had the Mate 20 Pro too... didn't have some of the issues you had since I got it later and probably they address most of everything by the time I got it. I do wish T-Mobile would allow WIFI Calling on it... overseas T-Mobile has it enabled... but unfortunately we do not and there's no setting to do so.
Stupid politics to protect Apple is the underlying cause of the whole "Huawei is spying on you for the Chinese Government Conspiracy" Yeah, someone will say there's proof, and I'm like... well, they make great phones and I'm sure no one in China give ZERO F's about my Facebooking, search history, etc. or whatever someone thinks they are spying on... All I know is I hate having to jump through hoops to buy the phones and wish I could just roll down to a best buy or legit on Amazon, buy one and have all the features supported. I mean google, microsoft, apple, etc. all "spy" on their customers... just because I sign an agreement I guess its ok. :silly:
Spying on and telling you in a tiny word 10 page document ok.. :good:
Spying on and not telling you, not ok.. I guess.
I saw some one said intall Tmobile digits in his mate pro 20, then get wifi calling works. However, I cannot got that works on my son's mate 20. I still not make decision to buy p30 pro. Tmobile's signal too weak in my home, I realy on wifi calling too much.
cxterm said:
I saw some one said intall Tmobile digits in his mate pro 20, then get wifi calling works. However, I cannot got that works on my son's mate 20. I still not make decision to buy p30 pro. Tmobile's signal too weak in my home, I realy on wifi calling too much.
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I got poor cell reception here as well so wifi calling helps when using T-Mobile. In Irvine the city does not let telecom providers install Cell Towers so that they force you to buy and pay $100 per moth via COX Cable of which they have a monopoly over. A pretty corrupt city in that sense. If everyone has good reception then people will not pay the extra $100 per month to get internet at their house. The only place you have good coverage is if you live nearby freeway as they are required by law to have cell towers alongside the freeway. Every where in the city you have 1 bar as require by law to make a call in the event of an emergency.
Poison423 said:
I was apprehensive to purchase the P30 Pro because I had some troubling experiance with the Mate 20 Pro in the US on T-Mobile with calls and texts. To my surpise I inserted my sim into the P30 Pro and service was great. Even more surprising when I make calls I still have LTE and it connects in 1-2 seconds after dialing. Now I know I dont have a toggle for VOLTE or WIFI calling but keeping data during a call and connecting very fast was never something that happened to me with the Mate 20 Pro. Is anyone else in the US having a similair experiance?
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Click to collapse
Which version of the phone do you have. Only thing holding me back from buying this phone is knowing whether it has VOLTE support for T-mobile. I can't use the phone without it.
aim1999x said:
Which version of the phone do you have. Only thing holding me back from buying this phone is knowing whether it has VOLTE support for T-mobile. I can't use the phone without it.
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desiregeek said:
I got poor cell reception here as well so wifi calling helps when using T-Mobile. In Irvine the city does not let telecom providers install Cell Towers so that they force you to buy and pay $100 per moth via COX Cable of which they have a monopoly over. A pretty corrupt city in that sense. If everyone has good reception then people will not pay the extra $100 per month to get internet at their house. The only place you have good coverage is if you live nearby freeway as they are required by law to have cell towers alongside the freeway. Every where in the city you have 1 bar as require by law to make a call in the event of an emergency.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cxterm said:
I saw some one said intall Tmobile digits in his mate pro 20, then get wifi calling works. However, I cannot got that works on my son's mate 20. I still not make decision to buy p30 pro. Tmobile's signal too weak in my home, I realy on wifi calling too much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Poison423 said:
I was apprehensive to purchase the P30 Pro because I had some troubling experiance with the Mate 20 Pro in the US on T-Mobile with calls and texts. To my surpise I inserted my sim into the P30 Pro and service was great. Even more surprising when I make calls I still have LTE and it connects in 1-2 seconds after dialing. Now I know I dont have a toggle for VOLTE or WIFI calling but keeping data during a call and connecting very fast was never something that happened to me with the Mate 20 Pro. Is anyone else in the US having a similair experiance?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I started another thread to find out some info from those people with the Canadian variant in the US if there's greater compatibility with TMobile & ATT. What I do know is that the Canadian version VOG-L04 comes in 3 colors: Black, Aurora & Breathing Crystal. You can only get 8GB RAM if you get 256GB storage option. This is also the Latin American Version as well but have not heard anyone getting from mexico or other South / Central American countries yet.
It has Band 66 compatibility making it better especially for ATT folks.
Also, reported but not confirmed with screen captures, etc. is that it is 100% wifi calling enabled. Once again, this is reported but not confirmed. Same would be true for VoLTE
As for the digits workaround, you need to actually use digits app to make calls meaning getting a separate digits number for your phone ($10 per month) and using it to call it through the app connected to wifi. Similar to google voice workaround.
mahst68 said:
So I started another thread to find out some info from those people with the Canadian variant in the US if there's greater compatibility with TMobile & ATT. What I do know is that the Canadian version VOG-L04 comes in 3 colors: Black, Aurora & Breathing Crystal. You can only get 8GB RAM if you get 256GB storage option. This is also the Latin American Version as well but have not heard anyone getting from mexico or other South / Central American countries yet.
It has Band 66 compatibility making it better especially for ATT folks.
Also, reported but not confirmed with screen captures, etc. is that it is 100% wifi calling enabled. Once again, this is reported but not confirmed. Same would be true for VoLTE
As for the digits workaround, you need to actually use digits app to make calls meaning getting a separate digits number for your phone ($10 per month) and using it to call it through the app connected to wifi. Similar to google voice workaround.
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Which Amazon would that be? I may send mine back if wifi calling works on a different version. I currently have the German version and wifi calling is not preset in the setting per se. If use a shortcut maker i do get the option for wifi calling.
danon.brown said:
Which Amazon would that be? I may send mine back if wifi calling works on a different version. I currently have the German version and wifi calling is not preset in the setting per se. If use a shortcut maker i do get the option for wifi calling.
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Click to collapse
Amazon.ca but haven't see the phone available yet... definitely not the L04... With the short cut and it enabled does wifi calling work actually? I don't believe that it provisions even if enabled. VoLTE maybe a different story although I still have to check to see if it isn't on with the network info app. I'm at work so until I'm done I don't have my phone to check anything but will try later..
what shortcut maker do you use?
Still hoping that someone with a L04 can confirm all these items as well!
mahst68 said:
Amazon.ca but haven't see the phone available yet... definitely not the L04... With the short cut and it enabled does wifi calling work actually? I don't believe that it provisions even if enabled. VoLTE maybe a different story although I still have to check to see if it isn't on with the network info app. I'm at work so until I'm done I don't have my phone to check anything but will try later..
what shortcut maker do you use?
Still hoping that someone with a L04 can confirm all these items as well!
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Click to collapse
IDK if it's actually working. I guess I could try to make a call in airplane mode. Quick shortcut. Any of them would probably work.
There is one option that requires elevation. I may try it on my old mate 9 since that is rootable.
danon.brown said:
IDK if it's actually working. I guess I could try to make a call in airplane mode. Quick shortcut. Any of them would probably work.
There is one option that requires elevation. I may try it on my old mate 9 since that is rootable.
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Click to collapse
can you use network cell info app from wilysis and see what it says for your sim? should have a spot where it may say VoLTE either yes or no and same with wifi calling
mahst68 said:
can you use network cell info app from wilysis and see what it says for your sim? should have a spot where it may say VoLTE either yes or no and same with wifi calling
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Click to collapse
It seems wifi calling is off. VoLTE is working.
danon.brown said:
It seems wifi calling is off. VoLTE is working.
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Click to collapse
well at least that solves that VoLTE works... but wifi calling still does not without provision from tmobile... guess digits or google voice workaround is best bet for that.
mahst68 said:
well at least that solves that VoLTE works... but wifi calling still does not without provision from tmobile... guess digits or google voice workaround is best bet for that.
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Click to collapse
I wouldn't trust network cell info for an accurate diagnosis of wifi calling availability. It says its not available to me but it clearly is and works rather well (3 UK network)
HTH
To get WiFi calling working on Xiaomi devices you have to enter *#*#86583#*#*
Is there something similar for the Huawei P30 Pro?
TLJester said:
To get WiFi calling working on Xiaomi devices you have to enter *#*#86583#*#*
Is there something similar for the Huawei P30 Pro?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WiFi calling is definitely on the phone. Just need a way to make the settings stick.
mahst68 said:
VOLTE is on based on service menu by default. I feel call quality is great with the P30 Pro... I even like the screen as the phone speaker as well. I had the Mate 20 Pro too... didn't have some of the issues you had since I got it later and probably they address most of everything by the time I got it. I do wish T-Mobile would allow WIFI Calling on it... overseas T-Mobile has it enabled... but unfortunately we do not and there's no setting to do so.
Stupid politics to protect Apple is the underlying cause of the whole "Huawei is spying on you for the Chinese Government Conspiracy" Yeah, someone will say there's proof, and I'm like... well, they make great phones and I'm sure no one in China give ZERO F's about my Facebooking, search history, etc. or whatever someone thinks they are spying on... All I know is I hate having to jump through hoops to buy the phones and wish I could just roll down to a best buy or legit on Amazon, buy one and have all the features supported. I mean google, microsoft, apple, etc. all "spy" on their customers... just because I sign an agreement I guess its ok. :silly:
Spying on and telling you in a tiny word 10 page document ok.. :good:
Spying on and not telling you, not ok.. I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My phone arrives tomorrow. Are you happy with the overall coverage you are getting on T-Mobile in the U.S with the P30 Pro?
Sent from my SM-G975U1 using Tapatalk
I just pre-ordered through b&h here in the USA using tmo. Should be here in may (899 price for 256/8gb) vog-L29 model. Can't wait glad volte works
EricMartinSoCal said:
My phone arrives tomorrow. Are you happy with the overall coverage you are getting on T-Mobile in the U.S with the P30 Pro?
Sent from my SM-G975U1 using Tapatalk
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I am very happy with coverage and quality on my P30 Pro with T-Mo, VOLTE does work as well on mine. I have the amazon.de version VOG-L29 Dual Sim, No issues with Dual sim either. Wifi Calling is something that was always hit or miss with me. I do see the slider die it using shortcut maker but as many overseas phone thats a T-Mo issue not on the phone. Now correct me if I am wrong but isnt the model being sold by B&H the same as the other unlocked versions? Or does software have more bands active?
Poison423 said:
I am very happy with coverage and quality on my P30 Pro with T-Mo, VOLTE does work as well on mine. I have the amazon.de version VOG-L29 Dual Sim, No issues with Dual sim either. Wifi Calling is something that was always hit or miss with me. I do see the slider die it using shortcut maker but as many overseas phone thats a T-Mo issue not on the phone. Now correct me if I am wrong but isnt the model being sold by B&H the same as the other unlocked versions? Or does software have more bands active?
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Click to collapse
To my knowledge the B&H photo is your phone. I got the VOG-L09 and it has the exact same bands. It is your phone with a single SIM.
Sent from my SM-G975U1 using Tapatalk
Poison423 said:
I am very happy with coverage and quality on my P30 Pro with T-Mo, VOLTE does work as well on mine. I have the amazon.de version VOG-L29 Dual Sim, No issues with Dual sim either. Wifi Calling is something that was always hit or miss with me. I do see the slider die it using shortcut maker but as many overseas phone thats a T-Mo issue not on the phone. Now correct me if I am wrong but isnt the model being sold by B&H the same as the other unlocked versions? Or does software have more bands active?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely a TMobile US issue for wifi calling... they just basically need programming in place so when the sim is inserted, it allows provisioning to the Tmobile network. Now they might not be doing this because Huawei is giving them certain information but more likely has to do with Huawei not being sold in the US officially due to the supposed "spying" Applegate.... Not enough Huawei phones in the US otherwise to waste the time to have provisioning built in for the US.
More proof for the pudding... Apple who has been fighting with Qualcomm over whether or not they "stole" technology (doesn't that sound familiar?) agreed to a new contract because there was no other alternative for Apple to get 5G chips for their phones other than Huawei. Doing so would have meant opening Huawei back to the US and being major competition for Apple... so what does Apple do, throw some money around, make their Qualcomm problem go away overnight and still have their foothold on the necks of the US phone market... Trust me, if Xiaomi starts becoming more popular, they'll be the next one accused of spying... all to protect the almighty Apple...
So unless the general dissolution with Huawei stops... really, all smartphone companies and cell providers "spy" on their customers... wifi calling won't be viable... just have to workaround with digits or google voice
Wanted to ask if anyone with a USA model rog 2 tried att Sim card and did it work with att? We already know t-mobile doesn't list those options. This way we can all go search for phones that will suit our needs.
My US model will be delivered either Saturday or Monday and I use AT&T. Will post my results then.
I just talked to support again, and they said no VoLTE or VoWifi on Tmobile, Verizon, or AT&T, or any American carrier. They have no plans to enable it. The suggestion was that I leave them a complaint, so I did so via their form on Asus.com as well as Facebook.
The problem is AT&T is shutting down their 3G service this year so if VoLTE isn't enabled we can't make voice calls.
TawkinTrash said:
The problem is AT&T is shutting down their 3G service this year so if VoLTE isn't enabled we can't make voice calls.
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As is TMobile, from what I understand. You should be able to make calls, but it will default to EDGE, IIRC.
Cellendril said:
As is TMobile, from what I understand. You should be able to make calls, but it will default to EDGE, IIRC.
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Click to collapse
Ok I just tried to confirm and got info they're not shutting down 3G just yet. We still have a few more years.
I guess that's good we'll still have calls but isn't good because there's no reason for VoLTE.
Thanks to ryououki for the offer, we will await your testing and we will be here if u need any help
I seriously don't understand a U.S model, yet no volte? That's just dumb. Wtf?
I can tell you right now it wont work, Its a sick phone but I'm sending it back because of this. Asus screwed up with no VoLTE, no VoWiFi, and only a 1080p screen IMO. Maybe next time they will get it right. I hope the OnePlus 7T and the 7T Pro has it... Crazy!
Just read this for T-Mobile:
Due to lack of VoLTE support you won't be able to place and receive calls including 911 calls in some buildings and some outdoor areas where 2G GSM and 3G HSPA+ signal (marketed by T-Mobile as "4G") is too weak or non-existent while LTE band 12 is available
Great info so far , just need someone to try it with att sim for confirmation.
So far we know,
Tmobile no go on volte or wifi call
Verizon works on data only no calls or txt just like rog one. Cdmaless option unclear at this moment .
Att no test yet
I have a US model on AT&T and can't get VoLTE yet.
I talked to AT&T support and they said there's no compatibility yet.
The IMEI doesn't come up in their system as a known device.
I have at&t and a USA version of the phone, I can confirm as well that the phone drops to 3g when making voice calls.
This is really really bad because at&t plans to shut down their 3g in 2021, that means no voice calls after that. Asus USA knowingly selling a $900 phone that cant make a call in 2 years is borderline fraudulent.
yok3 said:
I have at&t and a USA version of the phone, I can confirm as well that the phone drops to 3g when making voice calls.
This is really really bad because at&t plans to shut down their 3g in 2021, that means no voice calls after that. Asus USA knowingly selling a $900 phone that cant make a call in 2 years is borderline fraudulent.
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I have to agree. Its just dumb.
Someone needs to see if something like this can work.....
https://forum.xda-developers.com/Mi-9/how-to/wifi-calling-volte-mi-9-t3917887
There has to be options somewhere we can atleast get VOLTE working. Yes root will be mandatory, but i am ok with that. I might order one from amazon. Whats the return policy for phones on amazon? Anyone know?
I believe there were reports that VoLTE was working on Tencent models?
We really need to look into making a custom rom for our phones for the US carriers.
Did you try dialer codes *#*#VOWIFI#*#* and *#*#VOLTE#*#*
How ridiculous. This is how you ruin a near perfect phone.
stealthj said:
I believe there were reports that VoLTE was working on Tencent models?
We really need to look into making a custom rom for our phones for the US carriers.
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I did more research, it seems to be more on the AT&T side than on the Asus side of things. Barring a few well-know phones like the Pixel 3, most BYOD Android devices on AT&T in general don't get VoLTE, including unlocked versions of Samsung Galaxy devices that are not purchased through AT&T. It looks like AT&T does not enable VoLTE for device models with IMEIs that it does not recognize (i.e. doesn't have AT&T certified ROMs), because they are afraid of getting fined by FCC for non-E911 compliance which requires the carrier to certify E911 support on all handset/firmware when on VoLTE. My guess the Tencent models with VoLTE working are somehow whitelisted by AT&T ad-hoc or they are working on Non-U.S. carriers. So it is more of an AT&T problem than an Asus/ROM issue. (though there may be ROM hacks to ask the handset to force VoLTE even if AT&T doesn't advertise the capability during protocol handshake).
Since this is a much bigger issue than just the ROG II phone, hopefully they have a plan to white list all BYOD Android devices for VoLTE when they sunset 3G. Otherwise AT&T would stand to lose a good chunk of revenue from those who migrate over from other carriers with BYOD phones, say a Galaxy phone with a T-Mobile ROM. You simply can't even offer a BYOD plan if you don't have voice call working for most of the BYOD Android devices.
suzook said:
I have to agree. Its just dumb.
Someone needs to see if something like this can work.....
https://forum.xda-developers.com/Mi-9/how-to/wifi-calling-volte-mi-9-t3917887
There has to be options somewhere we can atleast get VOLTE working. Yes root will be mandatory, but i am ok with that. I might order one from amazon. Whats the return policy for phones on amazon? Anyone know?
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I'm pretty sure their return policy for phones is the same as all other goods. I bought and returned the original ROG phone last year through Amazon, considering doing the same with ROG II unless there's a breakthrough on providers and features with custom ROMS/etc.
Yea that's pretty dirty to whitelist the Tencent version but not the US model.
This phone sounds amazing, but theres some conflicting information i've heard on it from multiple different sources.
1. Does the phone work on verizon? My current phone plan is on verizon, and it would be so much easier to just change out phones rather than move my entire wireless company to get this phone. I've heard that it does and it doesn't. Is it the chinese versions that don't? I'm american, so do the versions sold in America work with verizon? I went to my local verizon store, and they said it wouldn't, but the lady had to look it up on her phone but the article she saw might have been talking about the tencent version or something.
2. If it doesn't work on verizon, what other network would work better? I've heard that T-Mobile wouldn't work well for this phone, so maybe AT&T? Again, I would greatly prefer to just stick with Verizon.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE answer my questions, I've asked these questions in multiple places but no one has answered a reliable answer in any of them.
JegusChrist said:
This phone sounds amazing, but theres some conflicting information i've heard on it from multiple different sources.
1. Does the phone work on verizon? My current phone plan is on verizon, and it would be so much easier to just change out phones rather than move my entire wireless company to get this phone. I've heard that it does and it doesn't. Is it the chinese versions that don't? I'm american, so do the versions sold in America work with verizon? I went to my local verizon store, and they said it wouldn't, but the lady had to look it up on her phone but the article she saw might have been talking about the tencent version or something.
2. If it doesn't work on verizon, what other network would work better? I've heard that T-Mobile wouldn't work well for this phone, so maybe AT&T? Again, I would greatly prefer to just stick with Verizon.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE answer my questions, I've asked these questions in multiple places but no one has answered a reliable answer in any of them.
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No on Verizon. Yes to tmobile and att. Chinese and international versions have different lte band support. Talk to your local tmobile and att reps to see which bands you need and verify on the Asus site for rog phone 2.
A few users here say they got it working on Verizon as a data only device, and it does support their LTE bands. For calls, they mostly use Google Voice but one buys a cheap subscription on an AT&T MVNO for calls.
It doesn't have band 71 support for TMO, which could make coverage an issue. AT&T has the best support from what I've seen.
Something else to note is this is not VoLTE certified in the U.S. It can only make calls on the GSM networks, and those will be shutting over the next few years. If you plan to keep the phone long term, expect to lose the ability to make any phone calls. You could move to Google Voice at that point, but you'd still be left with no 911 access. Asus has so far indicated they have no plans to certify it for VoLTE in the U.S. (even other region versions that do have VoLTE wouldn't be able to use it here).
Mr_Mooncatt said:
A few users here say they got it working on Verizon as a data only device, and it does support their LTE bands. For calls, they mostly use Google Voice but one buys a cheap subscription on an AT&T MVNO for calls.
It doesn't have band 71 support for TMO, which could make coverage an issue. AT&T has the best support from what I've seen.
Something else to note is this is not VoLTE certified in the U.S. It can only make calls on the GSM networks, and those will be shutting over the next few years. If you plan to keep the phone long term, expect to lose the ability to make any phone calls. You could move to Google Voice at that point, but you'd still be left with no 911 access. Asus has so far indicated they have no plans to certify it for VoLTE in the U.S. (even other region versions that do have VoLTE wouldn't be able to use it here).
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I'm not exactly the best at phone lingo, i just stumbled across this website while looking up things about the phone.
That being said, can you tell me whether or not the phone is worth it? It seems like theres wayy too many disadvantages to this phone, and that kinda bugs me. I've been wanting this phone for a while, so I'd much rather get this than anything else.
If it's not really worth it, can you mention any other phones that are similar? mainly one that can emulate games just as good if not better than the ROG 2?
"Is it worth it?"
That is such a loaded question if you're in the U.S. That's something you'll have to decide for yourself based on your needs. If it had VoLTE here, then it would be worth every penny. All I can say is that for me, it isn't worth it. Yes, you get a ton of value for the phone. I'm on Verizon and would've been ok switching calls and texts to Google Voice. I also planned to keep it long term, likely after the GSM network shutdowns. I also drive for a living, hauling hazardous materials. So in my case, the inability to make a 911 call once those networks shut down is a very big concern. For me, that one reason alone is why I've decided to hold off on it.
On the flip side, if you don't have a problem with the 911 issue, or plan to switch phones in a year or two anyway, then this may very well be worth it in your case.
As for other options, I think the Nubia Red Magic 3s is likely the closest in terms of features and performance. It's not quite as bleeding edge as the ROG 2, but it's also a lot cheaper and has VoLTE calling. The Razer Phone 2 is another known option, but it's a generation older too and support may be questionable (rumor has it there may not be a Razer 3). I don't know a ton about either phone other than what I've read on their specs.
If I were to buy a Samsung 21 global version for rooting will it work with At&t network out of the box or should I just go for the US version and pay the money to get it unlocked if it is still possible. Also, does any one have any good links to get the global SM-G988b version of phone?
Edit: Accidentally hit enter when editing title.
AT&T has this whole whitelisting of the devices on their network for all features (like WiFi calling) to work. Better to buy a US unlocked variant. In the past, it has been possible to root Samsung US flagship versions.
Ah ok. I never cared about things like WIFI calling. I just wanted to still be able to make phone calls and get internet. Thanks for the info though. I still prefer the Global one if it works in the USA and so just wnateed to know if it will work in the usa.
Skizzlo said:
Ah ok. I never cared about things like WIFI calling. I just wanted to still be able to make phone calls and get internet. Thanks for the info though. I still prefer the Global one if it works in the USA and so just wnateed to know if it will work in the usa.
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If you look at the bands, the Exynos S22 is lacking bands 260, 261 (5G mmwave bands) and bands 14,29,30,66 so the coverage won't be good
I have the 998b/ds i just purchased . When it came the card in the package said it wouldnt work on cricket. I went to cricket and called. Ran my imei and was told everything would work fine. Cricket if course is att.
I will be calling today and asking why my coverage is so horrible. I wouldnt have opened the phone if they had told me everything would work.
I am experiencing horrible reception at my home, which is in the mountains. My s20 ultra worked fine and got 5 g up here.
I will report back what i find out. As for now i am disappointed i am not getting 5g at all.
Ok thanks. So looks like USA Version is my best bet.